Optical Networks
The typical optical fiber network (OFN) includes one or more central offices (COs), one or more remote nodes (RNs) connected to the COs by corresponding optical fiber links, a number of network interface devices (NIDs) coupled to respective RNs by corresponding optical fiber links, and a number of termination points coupled to the NIDs by additional optical fiber links. There are a number of different types of OFNs, including long-haul networks that interconnect major metropolitan areas, regional networks that interconnect smaller cities to the long-haul backbone, metropolitan networks that interconnect central offices located within a city, enterprise networks that connect central offices to the buildings of large or small companies, and access networks that connect residential and business subscribers to central offices.
These networks have a variety of architectures, but each has common characteristics in that they comprise an interconnected set of electronic equipment, cables, hardware, and components. For example, in access networks, there are a variety of broadband network architectures, which are described in more detail for illustration purposes. One general type of broadband access OFN is called an active point-to-point architecture, which includes the Home Run Fiber (HRF) and Active Star Ethernet (ASE). Another general type of broadband access OFN is called a passive point-to-multipoint architecture, which includes the Passive Optical Network (PON). A PON has no active components between the CO and the termination location to which the service is delivered.
Because of the different termination options for a broadband access OFN, for simplicity the abbreviated expression “fiber to the x” (FTTx) has been adopted, wherein the “x” represents the particular termination point. The termination point may be, for example, a “premise,” a home, the “curb,” or a “node.” Thus, in the acronym-intensive language of OFNs, a PON architecture used to provide service to one or more homes is abbreviated as FTTH-PON. The details of the particular FTTx network architecture used depends on the termination point and the service goals of the network, as well as on network cost and the existing optical fiber related infrastructure (“outside plant” or OSP). In other OFN arrangements, some of the OFN components are located inside COs or inside other buildings and structures.
The deployment and maintenance of an OFN is an equipment-intensive and labor-intensive undertaking. A network service provider that receives the various components for the network from one or more manufacturers typically installs an OFN. The various OFN components (e.g., cabinets, terminals, enclosures, patch panel ports, optical fiber cable, optical fiber cable connectors, hardware, equipment, etc.) must be received, installed, inventoried, and maintained in an organized manner. After installation, the service provider must provide service to its customers and locate and correct any faults that occur in the network. Each of these operations (deployment, maintenance, provisioning, and fault location) requires the service operator to know and understand what OFN components are deployed in the network, as well as their location and particular capabilities.
In OFN deployment, there is the need to positively identify and characterize the OFN components. This applies to the cabling (aerial or buried) as well as to the other aforementioned OFN components. Currently, this process is carried out by visual identification, using foot markers printed on outside cable jackets, and color-coding and labeling of connectors, ports, enclosures, etc. During the initial installation as well as during operations and maintenance, significant time is spent associating the various OFN components and their characteristics to an inventory database, which is updated manually. Besides the extra time spent, there is a high risk of errors due to misidentification, database entry errors or failures to correctly update the database.
An OFN is typically deployed over a relatively large geographical area, with the optical fiber cables and other OFN components being installed either below ground or above ground. Thus, the ability to quickly locate and identify the various network components and obtain information about their installation and operating status can provide significant labor and cost savings with regard to deploying and maintaining the OFN, and can increase OFN uptime.
Radio-frequency Identification
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a remote recognition technique that utilizes RFID tags having microcircuits adapted to store information and perform basic signal processing. The stored information is retrievable via RF communication between the RFID tag and a RFID tag reader. The typical RFID system utilizes a RFID tag reader (e.g., hand-held) that when brought sufficiently close to a RFID tag is able to read a RFID tag signal emitted by the tag, usually in response to an interrogation signal from the RFID tag reader. One form of RFID tag relies on the interrogation signal from the RFID reader to provide power to the tag. Other forms of RFID tags have internal power sources.
The data encoded into a RFID tag can generally be written at a distance, and some types of RFID tags can be re-written multiple times. Each RFID application has its own unique issues and circumstances that require the RFID system to be engineered accordingly.
In view of the above-described issues associated with the deployment and maintenance of OFNs and the benefits of RFID technology, there is a need for systems and methods that integrate RFID technology with OFNs to facilitate OFN deployment and maintenance.